Sometimes You Can't Follow The Money

Excellent editorial in the Post-Dispatch yesterday about Carl Bearden, the Four Star General of Astroturf in Missouri. Bearden is a former state representative and lobbyist who helped kick start the tea parties across Missouri (including in St. Louis) while he was working for the billionaire Koch brothers-funded Americans for Prosperity. Since then, he's moved on to form his own astroturf group United for Missouri's Future. Here's the opening for the editorial:

To paraphrase the immortal Chico Escuela, politics has been very, very good to Carl Bearden.

Since 1993, he’s gone from representing the Harvester area on the St. Charles County Council to representing rich people who want to influence elections and public policy in Missouri without the public knowing who they are.

Along the way, he served seven years in the Missouri House while simultaneously building his lobbying business. Despite the massive potential for conflict of interest, it’s become common for lobbyists and political consultants to serve as legislators. Mr. Bearden was one of the pioneers.

Read the whole thing here.

Thanks to @firedupmissouri for the pointer.